ROLL YOUR OWN

The price of cigarettes is getting way out of hand. All of us smokers should organize and
stop it. See my Smokers' Rights page. But in the mean time,
to make smoking both cheaper and more enjoyable, I roll my own.

If you use a good tobacco, hand-rolled cigarettes are better tasting than pre-rolled, and
still about half the cost. Don't buy Bugler or Top unless you're desperately poor--you
won't like it. Drum and Zig-zag are good, and widely available. Tobacco shops carry
MacDonald's Export, a Canadian brand, and usually several others. The best, but a bit
more expensive, is Three Castles, grown in Virginia but processed in England.

The latter comes in a handy sized can, about 1.5" tall and about 4" in diameter.
It slips easily into a coat pocket, and holds 3.25 oz when full. Such a can is the basis
for my convenient rolling system shown below.

Rolling while driving, using a small hand-rolling machine, is not hard with a little
practice, but you don't want to have to worry about spilling your tobacco at a sudden
stop. Dropping your pack of papers can also be frustrating. My system solves those
potential problems.

The snap-on lid is secured with a hinge made from rubber inner-tube. When opened,
the lid won't slide away, and it acts as a stabilizer for the can, which already has a
low center of gravity, to avoid tipping over. The rubber is bolted to the side and the lid.
The bolt in the lid also secures a small spring clip inside the lid, which holds the packet
of papers. The rolling machine, of course, nestles in the tobacco when not in use.